Bearing.



J. G. GROMWELL.

, BEARING. APBLIOA TION ,IILEDMAR. 9, 1905. RENEWED PEB.13, 190B.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913. I

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' ,.-...,U111TED.STAIESPATENT OFFICE- :JOHN o m'mwm; or CLEVELAND, oino.

spect' fl cation 'ot Letters fatent.

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Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

aa iicaadaaiea mamas, 190s, scan at. 249,215. Renewed February 1a, 1908. Serial No. 415,669.

To all whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that'L'JonN C. Caoaiwmin,

- a citizen 'of the .United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and-useful Improvement in-Bearings, of which the following is a specification. v

' \Iy invention relates to an" improvement in bearings for rotatim shafts and journals and is especially adapted for shafts and journals to which is imparted a longitudinal thrust, and which are, due to their rapid rate of vibration or lack of perfect balance in the load or unevenness in the application of the motive power, subject to strains tending to displace them laterally or to cause them to oscillate. Such shafts are frequently called self-centering by reason of the fact that they are frequently provided with means to automatically return them to the center when they have been displaced, though thisterm self-centering has been loosely-used to designate shafts which are intended to have freedom of movement under strain, but which have not been provided with any means for returningthem to the center.- My bearing is, as above stated, applicable to shafts and journals'to which it is desired toiallow this flexibility. of ac tion, regardless'of whether they are provided with positive centering means or not and will automatically maintain all of the balls in engagement with the raceway and the shaft at'all inclinations of the shaft relative to the'transverse'planc of thebearlhe' advantages of the-principles underlying my im roved mechanism are clearl-v setgforth in t e'following specification, reference'being had to the accompanying drawingswvhichillustrate an embodiment of my invention. The-accompanyingdrawings referred to represent a er'tical section of a portion'of a'centrifugal separator in which thebowlshaft is mounted in accordance with' the principle of my bread invention, two specific forms of bearings being set forth in -this specification; One of these hearings I -desire to' claim specifically in connection with this resent applicatio'm which is also dirooted to'the' broa'd'invent-ion, thex othe'r of which bearings I have d'escribed andiclai nediIr-United-States Patent. N92; 856,228, granted Junellth,1907i-" a The broad inventiom' which is eapzible 'of use in many structures, is articularly adapted for the mounting of owl shafts for centrifugal separators, and the specific form of bearin herein' claimed is likewise suitable for suc 1 uses, since, in such apparatus, the highest speeds are obtained or sought to be obtained, and the slightest deviation from perfect balance of the load will cause the shaft to tend to oscillate in the most marked manner, and cause it to cramp its bearings and buckle out of shape, unless bearings are employed which permit flexibility of movement on the part of the shaft, or its displacement out of its normal axial line. This tendency is further accentuated and at the same time complicated by a sidewise thrust or pull of the power transmitting mechanism. The conditions therefore obtained in centrifugal separators are such as have hitherto rendered it practically imossible to simultaneously use anti-friction earings and allow for the oscillation and sidewise shiftin of the shaft so that it would be possibi e to permit the disturbing strains to be counteracted without distortion of the shaft or cramping of the bearings. I have, however, conceived and produced a form of anti-friction bearing for the shaft or journal, and a structure by which the shaft or journal may be mounted in the said bearing, so that it will be free to tilt therein and permit oscillation of the shaft outside of the bearing, and will also permit of actual lateral shifting of the shaft at' the zone where it contacts with the said bearing.

Carried in the frame A. of a centrifugal separator of any approved type, is a separating bowl B, to which a rapid rotary motion; is given by means of the worm-wheel Ogearin with the shaft b of the separating bowl an with the driving mechanism (not shown). During-the rapid rotation of the bowl B both it and the shaft b vibrate considerably, and this'is'especially true when the speed at which the separator is balanced to run is changed materially, as is the ease in starting up the machine.

I'have provided two flexible ball-bearings D and D'for the reception and guidance in the frame A of the two ends of the shaft 6, such b'earings-bein so arranged'as to properly take care of t e vibrations of the bowl B and not in any way disturb the paths of travel-of the balls; The vibrations of the D, audit is m -attests,soaimhg saia bearings that they will mutually compensate for the distortions 'ofeach' other and'thus maint ain centralization between the axes of of the bearingsheretofore known in the art.

| Referring nowto the upper bearing D, it will-"be-f-seen that -lin thepresent instance I employ-as" the bearing portion. forithe shaft the it per annular sleeve-like memberd surroun ing the shaft b to-which it is 'revolubly fixed and having asphericalor'ednvex surface 03 ada tedto contact with the ballsiE carried in he race formed in a lower member (l' which will now be describedzin detail. This lower; member (1' is an annular ring carried by means of a flange (1 upon a guiding and supporting shoulder a of the frame and is adapted to sustain the whole weight of the separating bowl B. Considerable lateral play is allowed the member (1 upon the shoulder a, as will be clearly seen from the drawing, so that the shaft and bearing may accommodate themselves to all swayings and'vibrations induced in the separating-bowl by the operation of't-hemachine.- The flan e (l and shoulder a are'provided with uxtaposed complementary curved surfaces formed into partsvof the surface of a sphere of which so much of the shaft 1) as lies belowthe member d, is a radius, so'that, as the bowl and shaft sway, the flanged oscillates'bverthe are on the shoulder a: and there is very"little-friction between'it and said shoulder. In order that the oscillation of the laterally-movable mem ber df, reinforced as it"is by-th'evweightof the bowl- B, maynot react upon the-frame A, 'ageompensating resihent'rmg F,;sho'wn in he, drawing 1 as an annular, corrugated spring-steel ring, is interposed betweensa'id member (1' and the frame, and acts as a cushion "or butler between the same,-:taking 'up,.the movements of the membercdfgwithq outg-communicating the same ,to-the frame.

The bearing'is. self-containing for theballs 15,; even {when .the memben d ofthe bearing is removed; since the lowerzm-embergdt of theibearing is prov'idedwith aretaining lip d? which,-1n1coiiperationlwith a removable annular;ring G adaptedftmform a-second retaining lip,*'holds, the'balls in plaee -and prevents the esca Jof-f the same from'.; their all-race. ,-It .isjo vious that many; suitable equivalents of; the :retaining ring; G, such as removable plugs riveted intothe-low'er member. (2, might be PIOVldQdjWhlCh would cod -to-lrender' said: member. fd{ self-contain1ng for the'balls-lflThis feature is especially; serviceable, when the se a'rator .-is dismantled? for cleansing and 0t er'purp'osesof the A pin H, screwed in through the frame A fromthe outside, engages a suitable notch d in the flange d and prevents the member d from rotating upon the shoulder a.. The halls E are prevented from climbin by the annular ring G, as clearl indicate in the drawing. It is obvious t at in adaptations caring D'to uses other than that of utilizing it in a centrifugal separator, suitable equivalents of the shoulder a, over which the bearing oscillates, ma be provided, said shoulder being shown in this application of the hearing as an integral part of the separator frame.

The lower bearing D comprises the two annular parts (1 and d suitably carried and retained in the frame, and a third part, ada )ted to be revolved by the shaft which the caring carries, and shown in the drawing as an integral part b of the shaft Z), said part 7) being located centrally and symmetrically as regards the parts d and (1 and having a surface adapted to contact with the balls E carried in the three-point ball-race formed by the members d, d and b. The parts d and d form one member of the bearing D and the shaft portion 7) .a second member, the parts (1 and (1 being entirely distinct from one another and capable of movement and adjustment relatively to each other, such movement and adjustment being automatically controlled as will be hereinafter explained. Said parts (1 and d alone are-adapted to form a selfeont-ainin two-point ball-race, as hereinafter exp ained, and are grooved to receive between themthe balls E as shown, and the'inner surfaces of these grooves slope so that they force the balls a ainst the member b and tend tocenter the atter. The parts cl? and d are forced apart by the member I) thrusting against the balls E when said member b moves one way or the other, due to the lateral vibrations of the shaft 1) and the bowl B. This relative movement of the parts cl and d compresses a spring J, suitably seated in the frame under the hearing I). The tension of this spring J, as soon as-the lateral thrust of the member I) is relieved, automatically forces the parts d and d together again, and the slo ing inner -surfaces 'of these parts, forming t e wed shaped ball-race within which the balls aresupported, force said balls against the member I), tending to center the latter as noted above. It will be noted that the parts cl and cl form in effect a ball-race for the balls E, which is variable in size, depending u on the amount of relative movement of said. parts, which in turn is dependent upon the forceof the lateral thrust of the revoluble member I).

--The, lower bearing D is self-containing for thev balls '13), even when the member b of the bearing is removed, since thefret'ainin "u s was, ro vidd up thel-parts d yd, res ectively, prevent a they 'esca e, of .the, bal s fromthe 'twopoint bal -'race. As noted'abovein'connection with the retaining lip d and an annular ring G of the upper bearin D, this feature is es ecially serviceable w en the se aratoris ismantled for cleansing-and ot ier purposes. This lower bearing D carries none of. the weight of the bowl and shaft but serves only to steady the latter and to compensate for the distortions of the upper bearin D.

Havm described my invention in detail, that whic 1' I particularly point out and distinctly claim is:

1. Amounting .for a vertical shaft, comprising a self-centering supporting bearmg arranged near the upper end of the shaft, a load carried by the shaft above said supporting bearing, and a bearingarranged near the lower end of the shaft, the selfccnterin supporting bearing carrying the load and permitting the upper portion of the shaft to move sidewise in self-centering, and the lower bearing holdin the lower end of the shaft against excessive sidewise movement while permitting it to move to adjust itself to the movement of its upper end; substantially as described.

2. A mounting for a vertical shaft, comprisin a self-centering ball-bearing arrange near the up er end of the sha t and sup orting the loa ,saidload bein carried by t e shaft above such bearing, an a lower bearing which holds the lower portions of the shaft without sup orting the load-and which permits the sha t to move in accordprisin ance with the movements of the upper hearing; substantially as described.

3. A mounting for a vertical shaft comprising a self-centering supporting-bearing arranged near the upper end of the shaft, a loa carried by the shaft above said supporting-bearing, and a bearing near tie lower end of the sha t, centerin supporting-bearing carrying the load an permitting the upper portion of the shaft to move sidewise in self-centering, and the lower bearing holding the lower portion of the shaft against sidewise movement.

4. A mounting for a vertical shaft coma self-centering ball-bearing arrange near the up er end of the shaft and sup ortiug the loa( a load attached to the sha t above said svgi )ortin -bearing, and a lower hearing which holds the lower portion of the shaft against sidewise movement without supportin the load.

5. A mounting or a vertical shaft carrying the load at its upper end, such mounting comprising a self-centering ball-bearing which supports the load and is arranged near the upper end of the shaft below the load, said supporting-bearing being capable of tilting in its support and the shaft being capable of tilting in the bearing and of m0ving sidewise in finding its natural axis of rotation.

Signed by me, this 28" day of February,

JOHN C. CROMWELL. Attested bv- D. T. AVIEB,- G. W. SAYWELL.

the self- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents,

Washington, D. 0.

arranged 

